Once in a lifetime pictures of the big freeze

Many rivers across Yorkshire are now freezing over and I have been sent 3 pictures which really are very rare - especially so early in the season.

Some rivers froze over in December 1981, but it is thought, although I can't confirm, that the last time Whitby harbour froze over was during the winter of 1962/63. Parts of the River Humber have started to freeze over too.

The first image below is of the River Wharfe, at Bolton Abbey. The maximum temperature at Skipton, Bolton Abbey's closest observation, was -5.4C (22F) yesterday, according to the now retired observer at the old Met Office site. For 4 days and nights leading up to yesterday afternoon, Skipton's maximum and minimum temperatures were lower than those recorded in Moscow.

The second image below is stunning - Whitby harbour on the North Yorkshire coastline.

Finally, the River Nidd at Knaresborough, completely frozen from one side to the other.

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About this blog

Hello, I’m Paul Hudson, weather presenter and climate correspondent for BBC Look North in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. I've been interested in the weather and climate for as long as I can remember, and worked as a forecaster with the Met Office for more than ten years locally and at the international unit before joining the BBC in October 2007. Here I divide my time between forecasting and reporting on stories about climate change and its implications for people's everyday lives.

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